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Fly or Drive?

With summer right around the corner, many people will be traveling to various places across the country, and beyond. People have many decisions to make when planning a vacation. Where you are traveling, when you are traveling, and the budget you are traveling on are all contributing factors when deciding your mode of transportation. Why fly? Why drive? It’s time to find out.
Reasons to fly
Travel further
Let’s say your family decides to go on a beach getaway to the Dominican Republic. You ask your parents when the flight is, but you are surprised to learn that you are driving. Obviously, this would not be possible. It would be a very wet drive, to say the least. The point being made, is that traveling to most of the world requires a flight. Want to try mouthwatering pizza in Italy, meet some lions on a safari in Kenya, or take a stroll down the Great Wall of China? Unless you would like to spend weeks on a boat, a plane would be the way to go. Although there is nothing wrong with the Jersey Shore or New York City, sometimes you just need to travel far away and explore the rest of the world.Quick and easy
The average passenger airplane travels more than 500 miles per hour. If that’s how fast your parents drive, then they have a serious speeding problem. Nevertheless, flying will get you places much quicker. Florida in three hours sounds a lot nicer than Florida in two days. Even taking a train would take just over 24 hours. If you are traveling for a long weekend, or even winter/spring break, more time spent in the car means less time at your actual destination. In addition, watching a movie or reading a book while letting the pilot fly the plane sounds much nicer than sitting behind a wheel and staring at the road for hours.

Safer
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board research road and aviation statistics respectively. Their studies show that in the United States in 2008, there were over five million car accidents while only 20 commercial plane accidents. Their studies also show that, in a lifetime, you have a one in 98 chance of dying in a car accident, while only a one in 7,178 chance of dying in any sort of aviation accident.

Reasons to drive
Cheaper
Traveling on a budget is usually quite difficult nowadays with airplane tickets costing more than ever. While some places require a flight to get to, others do not. Driving can save a lot of money, especially if you do not travel far. Living in the Philadelphia area means that a few hours in a car can get you to major cities, beaches, and national parks. A current Upper Dublin student took advantage of the close distance between Upper Dublin and New York. He wrote, “I drove to New York with my family and spent the day there. We made it home that same day. We spent so much time in New York even though it was only a day trip.” If you would like to save money, then the beaches of Atlantic City may be a better fit than the beaches of Aruba.

Control your own destiny
Flying somewhere might be easier, but you may have a better overall experience driving. In a plane, you start in one place and end in another, with nothing in-between. Just think about all of the amazing things you would be flying right over. While flying to Florida, you may get there quickly, but you are skipping over amazing attractions from the White House to the Great Smoky Mountains to the Country Music Hall of Fame. Driving allows you to stop on the way and do whatever you would like.

Bring whatever you would like
Today, strict Transportation Security Administration regulations and airlines charging crazy prices for luggage mean that you just cannot fly with everything you might want. If you drive, you can bring whatever you would like. This also includes people. If someone decides last minute to join you on your trip, buying a plane ticket may be difficult. If traveling via car, last minute changes are no problem.